


Sitting on the roof of a beat up car, half-singing, half-laughing, half-

by pulchramors



Series: Akira's New Game + Adventures [1]
Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Angst, Bad Ending, Beach Episode, Featherman References, Fluff, Gen, Implied/Referenced Underage Drinking, It's Not Paranoia If They're Really Out To Get You, References to Depression, Teenage Dorks, Time Loop, Truth or Dare, Whump, fluff with no happy ending, scramble refrences but no spoilers really, sumi calls everyone senpai bc I find it cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:48:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25205722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pulchramors/pseuds/pulchramors
Summary: Akira is trapped in a series of endless new game+ loops, but at least that comes with a few loops that aren't utter shit.
Series: Akira's New Game + Adventures [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1849576
Comments: 4
Kudos: 103





	Sitting on the roof of a beat up car, half-singing, half-laughing, half-

**Author's Note:**

> Posting from mobile for the first time because I am apartment hunting! Hope it doesn't fuck something up oof (ΤοΤ) 
> 
> I kinda made a tumblr -more like dug up an old side blog- where I have been rambling the last few days. Feel free to come scream at me (and read my rambling) there if you want! : https://pleasant-boi.tumblr.com/
> 
> If you wanna end it on a fluffy note, stop when everyone is sitting around the camper after dinner, specifically the part where "Akira felt his chest tighten looking at them"
> 
> Sorry if there are any mistakes, English isn't my native. If you spot any let me know! (>.<;;)

The problem with being stuck on an endless time loop, repeating the same year over and over and over and over again is that one point, you're _bound_ _to_ do everything right -

Loop... _Somewhere_ around 180? 200? Akira had lost count. A sudden wave of determination and he had managed to do seemingly everything right - By early September, he had managed to befriend Haru and convince her that her father was an asshole and to join the phantom thieves way earlier, break Futaba out of her "tomb", make Sumire regain her sense of self and convince Akechi to betray the conspiracy before even the time they would typically target Okumura -and everyone else to accept him into their tight-knit group. Sure, it was awkward, especially at first and Futaba said she couldn't exactly forgive him, but she couldn't exactly ignore the fact that he was a victim too.

The fact that it was still scorching out and Akechi already had a driver's license - Makoto and Haru had their learner's permits too, though after years of experience Akira knew Haru shouldn't be even let _near_ a driving wheel and he was _technically_ better than all of three of them combined- and needed to leave Tokyo because Shido started getting impatient, lead them to an impromptu road trip for a week or two, courtesy of Sojiro - or rather one of Sojiro's friend's who had a camper he didn't use. Sojiro and Kawakami covered for them in school, since they were missing their school trips - _Makoto was delighted at how mad were the teachers when she wasn't pushed into chaperoning against her will-_ and the rest of the details slipped through his mind - because the next thing he knew they were at their first stop - a beach a few hours away and he was hauling fizzy drinks for everyone from a nearby convenience store.

_Some loops he snuck alcohol and while he was technically old, too old, he should be dead by old age, it still felt wrong somehow, even if it was such a minor thing to anything else he had done in desperation, even if he had done it once or twice before he got stuck in this godforsaken -literally since he had killed a God, over and over again so many times- time loop._

There weren't that many people around since it was fall already and while it was Sunday, most people had stuff to do on Monday, school or work and they weren't going to ignore all that for a day on the beach. Still, it wasn't exactly empty, and it took a few rounds of driving to find a somewhat secluded spot they could park and set up, everyone shouting much to Akechi's dismay, because driving sure, but trying to park a large car near sand while a group of people who didn't even know how to drive tried to shout instructions, fighting with each other was maybe the last thing he thought he'd be doing in his life. It had taken some threatening _f_ _rom Haru_ for them to stop.

Still -

_It was perfect._

They had gotten an early start and they had arrived just before lunchtime at the beach, parking and setting up half-hidden behind a rocky part of the beach. The sun shone brightly, only a few clouds scattered in the vast blue sky. Akechi still - _as he had since yesterday-_ mumbling about this wasn't only unnecessary, but reckless too, until Ryuji and Haru picked him up, carrying him and dropping him into the water before he could wrangle free of their hold. Makoto had shouted at them, not really angry, trying to get them to at least put on some sunscreen. Futaba had started laughing, cheering them loudly, clinging to a Morgana who was meowing loudly in protest and Ann just sighed, calling them idiots, watching Sumire running after them, splashing water towards Haru and Ryuji as ' _revenge on senpai's behalf!',_ Yusuke mumbling something about the passion of youth.

* * *

Ann was lounging under the sun on a beach towel, biting _-just seeing it made Akira's teeth hurt-_ a popsicle, Yusuke trying to prop up a large beach umbrella she had convinced him to set up next to her in exchange for him drawing her, Morgana practically purring as he lied in the warm sand beside her. Akira smiled at the image before turning his gaze at the sea.

Apparently Akechi didn't know how to swim and somehow he was roped into learning how to, half-clinging to Futaba's float, the logic part of his brain screaming ' _GET ME_ _OUT OF HERE!'_ and the other refusing to go to shore because _'no pathetic water is going to get the best of me-'._ Futaba was strangely alright with this, despite egging him on and teasing him about it, even if she couldn't really swim that well either and almost drowned Ryuji when she lost her balance trying to stand on the float, falling in the water with a yelp and immediately clinging to the blonde, kicking and screaming, mumbling an apology after. Sumire was encouraging Akechi to let go of the float because they weren't even far from the shore, and ' _I'm going to rescue you if you start drowning senpai! I'm actually a pretty good swimmer!',_ which just earned her a round of embarrassed shouting from him and more teasing from Futaba and Ryuji.

Akira could hear them from where he was making lunch with Makoto and Haru - _especially Ryuji-_ and couldn't help but smile as he chopped vegetables on the small folding table, listening to the two girls talk and making a few small comments or nods in between their sentences, not paying that much attention to the conversation. 

* * *

Akira was scooping large portions into bowls, trying not to laugh as Makoto chastised the four for going to swim without even putting on sunscreen, the obnoxiously orange-colored bottle almost looking like a weapon in her hands. She quickly calmed down as Haru giggled and put her large sunhat on her head, leading her away, leaving them with a last ' _If you get burned and it hurts don't even think about complaining!'_ , throwing the bottle at Ryuji who just sighed a ' _yes ma'am'_ as he caught it. They all knew she would be the one fussing over them if they got sunburned anyway. Ann had gone over to tease them _-and help them to put on sunscreen on a lesser extent-_ Morgana smugly whipping his tail around, arguing with Ryuji. Yusuke was busy lamenting the ' _no snacks before lunch_ ' rule now that he had finished some sketches based on Ann and was excited to do the sealife next, waiting eagerly for the food to be served. Akira made sure to slip him an extra-large portion, and Haru had apparently the same idea because before anyone else had even started eating, he was scarfing down two huge bowls. Sumire took it as an eating contest challenge, quickly pulling her hair in a loose bun and starting to dig in. The rest quickly tried to follow their lead before those two completely depleted not only the lunch but their food supplies in the mini-fridge for the next few days as well.

 _"Man I can't freaking move-"_ Ryuji groaned, putting his hands over his stomach. Akira nodded in agreement, slumping on his chair with a small smile. After so many loops, most of the time food tasted all the same, no matter what he did to it _-one time he had sent himself to the hospital, along with a concerned and a bewildered Sojiro, because why did you get the idea to put Futaba's science project from last year that was gathering mold in curry along with the most random combination of ingredients and more importantly **why did you eat that**_ \- but this time it tasted... _nice,_ for the first time in a long while. 

"We may have overdone it a tiny bit..." Haru giggled.

"We're wearing swimsuits too..." Makoto hummed, taking Haru's hat -which she was still wearing- off, and putting it on her stomach with a sigh.

"You were a formidable opponent Yusuke-senpai." Sumire smiled, putting her hair down with a satisfied smile. Yusuke crooked his head, pulling a strand of hair out of his eyes.

"I wasn't aware we were competing in something..." At that, there was a competitive glint returning to her eyes, making Futaba chuckle.

_"We're about to witness a legendary battle as 'Sumi's bottomless stomach has finally found its match-"_

"I _could_ go for dessert too..." Ann laughed. "But I probably shouldn't..."

"If it's going to be a battle you should count Akira too!" Morgana jumped on the table. "He's already finished the Cosmo Tower in Big Bang Burger!"

" _You're all_ _impossible_." Akechi mumbled, pushing his still not empty plate to Sumire, a small smile creeping on his face as she eats it.

* * *

"Aren't you going to swim?" Akira asked teasingly and Akechi just rolled his eyes, tapping his fingers over the map he had rolled on the table a few hours after eating. 

" _I already did."_ he scoffed. "Besides - this is already an unnecessary stop. Shi-" he made a face, before changing his wording. " _They_ could be already be trailing me. I -" he took a breath, looking over some scribbles on the map. "Not to mention they have multiple allies and research locations outside Tokyo I don't even know the exact -" he tapped a circled location close to where they were. "They're all estimates and the longer I go without contact there's -" 

Akira put a hand on his shoulder. 

"You need to calm down." Akechi had a point. But experience told Akira they had another week on average before the conspiracy started seriously sending people after them. They were almost impossible to avoid inside Tokyo, but it was probably going to be okay. They were traveling by car so not really traceable. They were all together. They had a most likely one whole week to get as far as possible and lead them into a wild goose chase before returning to Tokyo. Or his hometown. Or anywhere _fuck_ \- It didn't matter. Everything had _finally,_ _oh God finally,_ gone perfectly and he refused to let some of Shido's goons destroy that. 

Despite his thoughts, he gave Akechi a small smile when the other boy turned to look at him with a frown. 

"I _can't -_ It's not only my ass at stake here. All of you are at risk especially if we're seen on something like a dumb beach tr-" 

"Bet I can gather more seashells than you. "Akira cut him off with a smirk and Akechi blinked in surprise, staring at him dumbfounded for a second. 

" _Are you out of your damn mind?_ Your lives are on the line and you - " he was cut off mid-sentence, letting out a - _what he later insisted wasn't even remotely close to a_ \- shriek as a water balloon hit him square on his lower back, wetting the shirt he was wearing over his swimsuit and splashing him with cold water. 

Akira could barely suppress a giggle as they both turned around, seeing Futaba laughing like a maniac and a _not-at-all-sorry_ looking Haru, kneeling next to a large plastic bucket, filled to the brim with colorful water balloons. Everyone was holding obnoxiously colored water guns too. Ryuji snickered as he threw one at Akira who caught it gracefully and twirled it once around his hand before pointing it at Akechi with a smirk. 

"Give it up, _detective -_ You're surrounded. It's time to stop being such a killjoy and have some fun." Akechi looked around for a second, letting out a small laugh that almost immediately turned into a laughing fit. 

" _Y-You_ \- " he managed in between laughs, some tears at the edge of his eyes clasping his hands over his stomach. " _You're all fucking idiots_." 

* * *

They built a fire pit. Makoto, of course, was fretting over it.

"A-Are you sure this is a good idea?" she had nervously whispered on Akira's ear as it was almost finished, making him chuckle as he stuffed some seaweed between the driftwood.

"It's fine." He waved her off with a smile. "I've done this hundreds of times." _Literally. Nevermind all the cute campfires he built back before this had even started, he had spent at least 10 loops running away from Tokyo, staying on the road, trying to get as far away as possible. Running away never solved it._ He took a breath. No use thinking about it. _This time, he wasn't about to let anything go wrong._ "You worry too much _Queen."_ he teased her, booping her nose as she let out a mildly amused sound in protest.

" _I guess_ we need to dry ourselves off..." she relented.

"Is it allowed though? We're already supposed to be laying low, _may I remind you,_ and everything today has just been-" Akechi bit the inside of his cheek. _"The last_ thing we need is someone calling the cops."

"Eh, it's probably fine." Ryuji shrugged, kicking the sand. "There were some signs on the way saying camping is allowed and stuff so..."

" _Probably **isn't**_ _good enough-"_

"It is if you can stop being such a killjoy-"

" _Fine! Eat shit and fucking die if you're so-"_

 _" **No fighting!"**_ Sumire had picked up Futaba and carried her over in between the two fighting, giggling as she watched her scold them in a fake angry voice, the lift allowing her to smack both of them in the head despite the height difference. "You're ruining my summer adventure! I want a firepit!"

That ended any fighting, at least until they had to stop Yusuke from drowning himself by dangerously hanging off a rock and dipping his head in the water to get a feel of the seafloor as the sun set.

* * *

Somehow, after a while of sitting around the fire, Ann had roped them into playing truth or dare. It was fun, Akira thought until he took a dare to play hanging off the camper with one hand until his next turn.

Before him was Akechi though, who currently cracked his neck to look at him with a shit-eating grin before using that _awful overly sweet 'detective prince'_ tone of his.

"Hmmm, let's see..." He put a hand on his chin, humming, dragging it out. _That bastard._ "Well, I would normally choose dare, but the dares so far have been... _interesting choices."_ he chuckled. " _Although-"_

 _"You're dragging this out on purpose, aren't you?"_ Makoto scolded him.

"Alright, I'll ask again then -" Ann giggled. "Akechi, _truth or dare?"_

" _Fine_. I'll have to go with truth then."

"Oh..." Ann blinked in surprise. "I really thought you were going to chose dare, so I don't have a question ready." Akira groaned from the back. _Great._

" _Indeed,_ that's what I thought as well, considering how Akira _insists_ on choosing dare for every round." Yusuke hummed

" _You dared Yoshizawa to jump over the fire._ I'd rather _not_ get killed, thank you very much." He rolled his eyes.

"What the eff' man, we _obviously_ weren't going to make you jump over the pit!" Ryuji almost shouted.

_"Just say fu-"_

"To be fair-" Sumire cut them off with a giggle "-I've done much harder jumps in gymnastics. The sand makes it a good challenge though!"

" _Guys my arm is starting to cramp-"_ Akira cut them off.

"Don't overdo it..." Makoto sighed, giving him a sympathetic look.

"Fine, just give me a second to think of a question." Ann leaned back.

"How 'bout a classic one? Ya know, like a first crush or-" Ryuji started but was cut off by her delighted gasp.

"Oh! That's a good one Ryuji!" she grinned. "So, Akechi - who was your first crush?"

" _You have to be fucking kidding me._ " Akechi groaned

"Nope!" she just said and Morgana laughed, swatting his tail.

"Now answer, unless you want to get a penalty!" the _not_ cat said, clearly amused.

 _"Fine."_ He rolled his eyes, staying silent for a moment, before his whole face flared up and mumbled something incomprehensible.

"You have to speak up if you want it to count." Haru giggled.

"I'm not fucking saying it again."

"Then you lose a point!" Futaba exclaimed with a smirk. Akechi took a sharp inhale.

"... _Sae-san."_ he finally spat out, making everyone stare in shock, except Makoto who let out a surprised yelp.

" _SIS?"_

 _"Duuuude-"_ Ryuji started teasing with a grin.

"I was 15, she was nice to me and bought me food, okay? " he covered his face with his hand. " _Now shut up and never talk about it again."_

_"What are you a dog-?"_

"To be fair, Sae's pretty hot." Akira said with a smirk before Akechi could answer, jumping down and joining back the circle, Makoto frowning at him and raising her fist in a warning. Akira also raised his hands defensively, smirk still on his face." _Hey,_ Sae's practically the only one I haven't _even flirted_ with." _In this loop at least._ Futaba blinked in surprise before letting an accusatory shout.

 _"Wait a sec-_ When did you and Akechi-?" Akechi just groaned, now hiding his face with both hands.

" _For fuck's sake - just throw me to Shido's goons, it's gonna hurt less than this conversation."_

"I kinda get it though," Haru smiled. "Sae-san reminds me of that Silver featherman character that appeared for a few episodes." She let out a small giggle. "She was the only reason I kept watching in middle school."

"Oh, from _that_ infamous season!" Futaba almost jumped up in excitement. "It was so bad it became a cult classic!"

"Was it the one where the masked villainess was revealed to be a clone of Pink?" Ann asked, suddenly getting a dreamy look. "Because I'm pretty sure the episode where she took of the mask and gloated over the heroes was the day I realized I was bi."

"To be fair, Yukari Takeba is a great actress." Makoto hummed.

"And pretty hot too." Akira smirked, earning a playful punch on the arm by her and a high-five from Ryuji.

"Me and my sister always thought Blue was the prettiest one..." Sumire mumbled, playing with a strand of wet hair

"Seriously, the more I hear about this show the less I understand." Morgana sighed

"Yes, the aesthetics of this Featherman show still elude me..." Yusuke hummed. "Perhaps I should watch it at some point."

"What you've seriously _never_ seen it?" Ann blinked in surprise

"Yeah dude, not even as a kid?" Ryuji added.

"No," Yusuke nodded. " _Se-Madarame_ always said television dulls the mind."

That killed the mood for a while until Akira got up to start dinner, suggesting they rent the DVDs and watch it all together at some point, instantly getting a few cheers in response.

* * *

They had finished dinner and were sitting around the camper, everyone doing their own thing, the sound of conversations, the constant lull of the waves hitting the shore and the quiet hum of an old beat-up portable radio someone brought around them. This loop had been... _Perfect_. As perfect as it could be anyway. Same as today.

Akira looked around at his friends, savoring the moment.

Akechi and Sumire had climbed on the roof of the camper. Akechi had a soft smile creeping up on his face, his hair messy and pulled in a small ponytail, a few freckles dusting his cheeks, dark circles still persistent on his face and was talking quietly with Sumire, who was trying to run her fingers through her long hair, still a bit wet and tangled and frizzled from the salt, almost matching her sunburnt shoulders. Ann was bickering playfully with Ryuji, Morgana sitting between them, taking Ann's side of course, which prompted Ryuji to aggressively pat him on his fuzzy head, making him yowl and Ann giggle as she put some product in her hair. Yusuke was _-trying-_ to paint the last moments of the sunsets, ranting at Futaba about the different textures of his watercolors as he used saltwater as a base, grunting in frustration when she just said that it would be cooler to just paint an anime girl with "like **huge** boobs. i mean some **serious** honkers. a real set of **badonkers**. packin some **dobonhonkeros**. massive **dohoonkabhankoloos**. big old **tonhongerekoogers"** making a motion over her chest and laughing. Makoto had just sighed, looking over at them, winching a little as Haru giggled, spreading some sort of cream on her sunburnt back, teasing her about how she insisted on everyone wearing sunscreen and she was the one who got sunburnt in the end.

Akira felt his chest tighten looking at them and his vision started to black around the edges.

_Nonononono - it couldn't be ending already, it couldn't, no matter how much he tried begging to no one and nothing in particular the loops always-_ _This was ending too, even if it didn't end today, it would just reset in a few months - he couldn't breathe, no it can't, it couldn't, he had tried so hard, he'd done everything right, nonono-_

The next thing he knew, his knees had buckled under him and was kneeling on the still-warm sand, his glasses fallen off somewhere, sobbing, which turned into laughter as everyone circled around him and tried asking him what was wrong _because explaining it was always pointless and there was no escape, oh fuck he was cursed to repeat the same fucking year over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and **over and over and-**_

That loop didn't last long after that. They quickly got back to Tokyo. Akira was off by his calculations or this time Shido acted a bit faster, because there was already a hitman chasing after them. Sojiro's corpse welcoming them to LeBlanc confirmed it. The rest of the group and his confidants, no matter how hard they tried, didn't last over a week. The last thing Akira remembered from that loop, was being hurdled under the counter at Lala's bar with someone, too out of it to notice who it was, the woman telling him it was going to be okay, before a gunshot echoed and she fell on the ground in front of him, blood dripping from her forehead.

* * *

Akira woke up on the train, the screens displaying 4/9, the announcer's voice coldly informing him of the next station.

**Author's Note:**

> I pulled all that featherman stuff out of my ass if there's an actual canon let me know. 
> 
> I wanted to make the ending more...Grand in a way I guess? But I feel that it fits to end up so...unceremoniously, considering everything, making the constant loop of ng+ hit harder I think.
> 
> Thanks for reading! (ﾉ´ヮ`)ﾉ*: ･ﾟ Hope you liked it! Feel free to leave a comment and let me know your thoughts.


End file.
